Each facility shall establish and implement written policies and procedures for medication control that include:

1. (1) A requirement that each patient's prescribing physician, physician assistant, or nurse practitioner provide to the facility electronic or written signed orders for:

   1. (a) Any medications taken by the patient;
   2. (b) Authorization for medications kept on the patient or in the room of the patient; and
   3. (c) Release of medications;

2. (2) Provisions for proper storage of prescribed medications so that the medications are inaccessible to patients and visitors with requirements for:

   1. (a) Separate storage of poisons, topical medications, and oral medications;
   2. (b) Each patient's medication to be stored in the container in which it was originally received and not transferred to another container; and
   3. (c) A medication prescribed for one patient that is not to be administered to any other patient;

3. (3) Self-administration of medications to be accomplished with the supervision of a licensed nurse to include:

   1. (a) A description of the responsibilities of the patient, the patient's family members, and the facility personnel; and
   2. (b) The provision of written educational material explaining to the patient and the patient's family the patient's rights and responsibilities associated with self-administration; and

4. (4) The proper disposition of medications due to:

   1. (a) Patient discharge or death of the patient;
   2. (b) Outdated medication; or

   3. (c) The prescription being discontinued by the physician, physician assistant, or nurse practitioner.

      The facility shall also establish written policies and procedures for the manner of issuance, proper storage, control, accountability, and administration of medications or drugs in accordance with pharmaceutical and nursing practices as well as professional standards.

      For the purpose of subdivision (3), the phrase, self-administration of medications, means the removal of the correct dosage from the pharmaceutical container and self-injecting, self-ingesting, or self-applying the medication with no assistance or with assistance from qualified personnel of the facility for the correct dosage or frequency.

Source: 42 SDR 51, effective October 13, 2015 ; 50 SDR 62, effective November 27, 2023 .

General Authority: SDCL 34-12-13 (9).

Law Implemented: SDCL 34-12-13 .

Prior versions effective: 2015-10-13.